This invention pertains to apparatus for retaining medical appliances such as catheters, sensors, tubing, or the like, to a patient (human or other animal). It has been common practice to use adhesive tape or the like to retain a medical appliance to the patient near the point of insertion of a catheter, for example.
Previous patented devices for retaining catheters, or the like, have employed self-adhesive fastening elements. U.S. Pat. No. 4,563,177 discloses such a device for stabilizing a catheter on a patient. It consists of a pair of flaps affixed to a patient's skin, and an central portion having a contour for receiving the catheter. The catheter is inserted into the patient then the catheter stabilization pad is used to retain the catheter to the patient. U.S. Pat. No. 4,822,342 uses a prepared tape with a pull tab to expose an adhesive surface of the tape to retain the catheter to a patient. U.S. Pat. No. 4,333,468 employs an apparatus that includes a base plate that is adhered to a patient's skin, and a flap to retain the medical device to the patient. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,250,880 and 4,224,937 to Gordon disclose a stabilizing fitting for an intravenous catheter that is taped onto a patient after a catheter has been connected to it. The prior retaining devices are quite different from the present invention in that they require two hands to position the catheter and retaining device to the patient. The prior retaining devices also require then to be attached to the catheter after it has been inserted. In the present invention the means to retain the catheter to the patient may be integrally attached to the catheter, thereby allowing quicker and easier fastening to the patient.